Kenya Airways moves 5,000 tonnes of cut flowers annually

Kenya’s floriculture sector, one of the country’s most important foreign exchange earners, continues to rely heavily on air connectivity as global demand for fresh-cut flowers intensifies during peak seasons such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and the Chinese Qixi Festival.

According to a LinkedIn post by Fitsum Abadi, Director of Cargo at Kenya Airways, the airline transports approximately 5,000 tonnes of cut flowers annually, accounting for around 3% of Kenya’s total flower exports. During peak periods, volumes can surge to as much as 550 tonnes per week, requiring the deployment of up to five additional flights alongside existing schedules.

Flowers harvested at dawn in regions such as Naivasha and Mount Kenya typically reach European auction houses and retail outlets within 24 to 48 hours. The speed of transit is critical in a sector where product value declines rapidly if cold chain integrity is compromised.

Kenya Airways connects Nairobi directly to key flower markets including Amsterdam, Paris and London, as well as destinations in the Middle East. The carrier operates 51 weekly widebody passenger frequencies and double daily dedicated freighter services on core routes. Direct connectivity allows Kenyan exporters to command premium prices while providing greater predictability in a sector where airfreight can account for up to 40% of production costs during periods of rate volatility.

The airline is also advancing capacity development initiatives, including partnerships aimed at introducing and optimising widebody freighter aircraft to support Kenya’s export sector. These measures are intended to strengthen uplift capacity, enhance schedule reliability and reinforce Nairobi’s position as a regional air cargo hub.

Demand patterns in the flower trade are highly seasonal and largely predictable. Kenya Airways works closely with growers, exporters and industry stakeholders to forecast peak requirements and coordinate additional capacity, both directly and through partnerships. This planning capability has become increasingly important as cargo competition intensifies across the region.

The operating environment has grown more complex in recent years. Global disruptions, contested airspace and fuel price volatility have exerted upward pressure on freight rates. At the same time, pharmaceuticals and e-commerce shipments are competing for limited cargo space. In this context, exporters are placing increasing emphasis on reliability in addition to pricing.

Sustainability considerations are also influencing logistics decisions. While air transport remains essential for high-value, time-sensitive exports such as flowers, the airline is pursuing measures aimed at improving operational efficiency and supporting decarbonisation objectives as part of its broader cargo sustainability strategy.

Kenya Airways is positioning itself as an integrated logistics partner to the floriculture sector rather than solely a transporter. As flower farming expands into new regions, opportunities are emerging for inland consolidation hubs and broader export participation across the country.

The importance of floriculture to Kenya’s economy remains significant. The sector generates more than $1 billion annually, contributes approximately 1.5% of national GDP and represents the country’s third-largest source of foreign exchange. It directly employs more than 150,000 people and supports an estimated 2 million livelihoods across farming, transport and export services. Kenya supplies over 16% of the global air-transported flower trade, ranking alongside Colombia and Ecuador among the world’s leading exporters.

The journey from farm to market is tightly coordinated. Flowers are harvested early, immediately pre-cooled and transported in refrigerated trucks to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. From there, Kenya Airways deploys dedicated cargo capacity, priority loading and coordinated ground handling procedures to maintain cold chain integrity through to the final destination.

Right after Valentine’s Day, the airport faced a strike that disrupted air operations in Kenya’s capital. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) experienced cancellations, delays and diversions as aviation workers downed tools, leaving some passengers stranded for more than 20 hours.

Following urgent talks led by the transport ministry, workers agreed to resume duties on the second day, with operations expected to gradually return to normal. Airline services could have faced prolonged disruption had the strike continued, making it a relief that the two-day stoppage has come to an end, especially for travellers left waiting for hours.